


knight in shining armour

by RosieClark



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Knight Lance (Voltron), Scientist Pidge, Slow(ish) Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, alternate worlds au, bed sharing, shirtless lance makes an appearance more than once
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:00:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29911101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosieClark/pseuds/RosieClark
Summary: "I know, I know it sounds crazy but hear me out." He's on his feet now, his hands animating every word. "I know I'm not lying, and you're clearly not either. We both know different worlds. It's like...like..." He smacks his forehead. "Quiznack, I knew I should have paid more attention when she explained it."He's still muttering under his breath when Katie finally catches on. "You think we're from the same earth, but with different timelines.""Yes."
Relationships: Lance/Pidge | Katie Holt
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	knight in shining armour

**Author's Note:**

> written for the conservatory plance event, and paired with [art](https://anchoredtetherart.tumblr.com/post/645048549935054848/for-our-valentines-server-event-i-was-paired-with) by the amazing [@anchoredtether](https://anchoredtether.tumblr.com/)
> 
> it was so much fun collabing and creating this piece, ivy you're the best <3

**FIFTEEN YEARS EARLIER**

"And they all lived happily ever after." Colleen finishes, closing the book and pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "Sleep well, my princess."

“Can you read me a different story tomorrow?” Katie asks. 

“You don’t like the fairytales?” 

“Happily ever after doesn’t exist in the real world.” 

Her mother laughs. “Oh Katie, one day you'll find a man who tells you when he thinks you're wrong, encourages you when you need it, and loves you with all his heart." Colleen glances lovingly at her husband leaning in the doorway before turning back to her daughter. "And once you do, you'll know a happy ending isn't impossible."

Katie gags at her parents’ affection, rolling over and shutting her eyes, earning a laugh from her mother. Colleen gets up and gently closes the door, leaving Katie to sleep. 

Soft green light from the hundreds of peel and stick stars she and her brother laboriously placed on her ceiling illuminate her room, and she snuggles deeper into her blankets, vowing to never be a damsel in distress lest a stupid prince come save her. 

But despite her best efforts, she dreams of princesses and knights in shining armour. 

  
  


**PRESENT DAY**

**JANUARY**

The snowstorm outside shows no signs of letting up as Katie makes herself a cup of tea. Music plays softly from her speaker system and she lets her hips sway. Days off in her profession are rare, mostly due to the fact that they're self-assigned, but when she is convinced to take one she's going to enjoy it to the fullest.

Settling back onto the couch, she grabs a magazine from the table and flips through until she finds an interesting article. 

A loud crack sounds beside her and she whips her head around only to be blinded by the light seeping from... well from a gash in the air. The magazine and her mug clatter to the ground, tea spilling everywhere, but she doesn't care to notice at this moment.

A breeze sweeps through her apartment, making her hair dance. All around her light blue specks glow and sparkle, disappearing whenever they touch something solid. She staggers back as out of the crack emerges a lanky figure, stumbling clumsily. Katie catches a glimpse of their blue eyes, in a hue she's never quite seen before as the person whips their head around, picking themselves up.

"No, no no!" they exclaim, attempting to run back the way they came, only to have the crack seal itself up. They slam face first into the wall and wobble for a few seconds before falling to the ground with a thud.

Katie can't move, doesn't know what to do. Her first instinct is to call 911, but how would she explain everything without sending them both to a mental institution? Besides, she and the authorities don’t exactly have the best track record. 

Carefully, she tiptoes to the fallen figure.

It's a man who appears to be around her age. His skin is tan and smooth, long lashes dark. His lips are parted slightly, and she can hear his breathing. 

At least he isn't dead.

She sighs in relief, her eyes training down his figure. He’s dressed in a loose white shirt and tight black pants. His long legs are sprawled out awkwardly but her attention goes to his hand.

His fingers grip a strange, hollowed out triangular object. Curiosity gets the best of her and she gently takes it from his hold. It's lighter than she expects. One side is wrapped in worn leather strips, the other two curved and carved with ornate designs. Some sort of runic language wraps around the entire thing. It's beautiful and might be worth a fortune, but as far as she can tell it is useless in her world. 

The object suddenly glows a bright blue, lighting up her whole room. Katie drops it in surprise, and the moment it leaves her grasp the light shuts off. Slowly, she picks it up again, but it stays dark. She tries again - still nothing. 

_ You’re losing it Holt,  _ she thinks, shaking her head.  _ First a man falling from the skies, then a glowing artifact? _

Carefully, she places it back in his grasp. She momentarily debates dumping some cold water on his face - the sooner he wakes up, the sooner she can get some answers - but ultimately decides against it. There's something so relaxed and peaceful in his expression that for some reason she just wants to let him sleep. 

Instead, Katie busies herself with cleaning up the mess. Thankfully the stack of Garrison files from work remained mostly intact.  When she barely finishes replacing her magazine on the table she hears him groan .

A few steps has her kneeling at his side when his eyes open. They’re the bluest eyes she’s ever seen, foggy but sharp. 

"What happened? He tries to sit up, but winces, a hand flying to his head. "Who are you? Where am I?"

"You're in my apartment.” She places a hand at the back of his head, helping him lie back down. “I was hoping you might be able to tell me what's going on."

"I can't remember..." His wince deepens. "Why am I on the floor?"

She crosses her arms. "Well, you sorta passed out after you got here."

He glares at her accusingly. "And you left me here?"

"You look heavy," she shoots back, something about his tone rubbing her the wrong way. 

"A pillow would have been nice," he grumbles under his breath. 

"I don't do favours for people who break into my house," she snarks, getting up and walking away. Behind her she hears him sigh. 

“Look,” he starts and she turns, surprised to find him on his feet, bracing himself on the couch. "We got off on the wrong foot." 

“No duh,” she says, crossing her arms. 

He chooses to ignore her comment and takes a few cautious steps forward. Despite any ill feelings harbored towards her unexpected guest, she can’t help but lean forward, arms out slightly in case he falls. He manages to stay on his feet and bows his head slightly towards her. 

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lancelot Serreno, Knight of the First Court, Captain of the Royal Guard and the best shot the Kingdom of Altea has ever seen." He straightens. "That last part isn't official... yet."

This is getting more and more unbelievable by the second. "Your name is  _ Lancelot?" _

"Just Lance, please." The way his lips quirk up slightly is the very definition of charming. A far cry from the grouch who was on her floor minutes ago. 

"And you're a knight?" Besides the fact that this entire story sounds like something out of a children's tale, when she thinks of a knight, she has an image of someone riding a horse, head to toe in shiny armor. Lance looks pretty... normal, in his dress shirt and slacks.

"Yes.”

“Like King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.” 

“Well, I don’t know about that m’lady. I serve Princess Allura and our tables are most certainly rectangular. They both make the room seem longer and give us more seats for our buck.” 

The ridiculousness of the situation makes her want to laugh, but something in Lance’s face stops her. He looks genuinely serious and confused. “So you’re from a kingdom?” she clarifies. 

He nods. “Altea. The most prosperous lands in all the earth.” 

Katie runs a hand through her hair, adjusting her glasses. “You gotta know how crazy you sound right now.” 

His head cocks slightly to the side. “I don’t follow.” 

“You’re saying you’re from a kingdom that I’ve never heard of, ruled by monarchs whose names are completely new to me. And unless I failed my mandatory geography course, which I didn’t, I’m going to take a wild guess and assume they don’t exist.”  _ Not to mention you just fell out of the sky into my living room _ , she adds in her head. The gears are still turning, trying to figure  _ that  _ one out. 

“Now  _ you’re  _ sounding crazy. I can picture the green grass dotted with pink juniberries. And the purple rivers that flow through the forest….” he trails off. “But something on your face tells me you still think you’re right.” 

"See for yourself." She hands him her phone and he takes it gingerly.

She watches over his shoulder as he types in Kingdom of Altea. No search results. Princess Allura Altea. Nothing. With each search, she sees his shoulder visibly droop.

Finally, he hands her phone back to her. "How is this possible?"

She purses her lips. Her mind whirs for every possible logical solution but comes up short. "I have no clue."

In all her research at the Garrison, she’s seen some strange things. Maybe that's why a strange man landing on her floor hardly fazed her. But she’s never seen anything to this extent. It is almost as if he is from another world completely. 

"Quizanck," his voice breaks the silence and his eyes go wide. "She was right."

Katie raises a brow. "Who?"

"My stupid genius of a sister." Despite his mean worlds, his face has a look of fondness she knows all too well. "She was telling me about this idea she had where there are multiple universes, each one the same save for a monumental event."

She nods slowly, and he must see the confusion on her face because he quickly continues.

"I know, I know it sounds crazy but hear me out." He's on his feet now, his hands animating every word. "I know I'm not lying, and you're clearly not either. We both know different worlds. It's like...like..." He smacks his forehead. "Quiznack, I knew I should have paid more attention when she explained it."

He's still muttering under his breath when Katie finally catches on. "You think we're from the same earth, but with different timelines."

"Yes," he breathes. "Somewhere way back when there's an event where the history of our worlds diverge, leaving us with the places we know."

“I mean the multiple universe theory has been hypothesized time and time again but at the end of the day it's still just a theory.” Her brows furrow. "And it still doesn't explain how you got here."

"Well how  _ did _ I get here?" Lance takes a seat again, running a hand through his hair. "That's the one thing that's still blank."

"You kinda..." She tries to find the right words. "You kinda just fell from a tear in the air. There were these light blue sparkles everywhere." She lets out a breathy laugh. "Wow saying it out loud makes me sound crazy."

"I'll let it slide," he says with a wink before tapping his chin. "So your living room must be a weak point in the barrier between our worlds. Somehow I must have torn through and ended up here."

"Well, what were you doing?"

His eyes fall to the floor. "I can't remember."

"How will you get back?"

"I don't know."

He sounds so sad, and when he looks up at her with eyes bluer than any ocean, her heart cracks a little. She clears her throat, fixing her gaze on the wall. "But this is all still hypothetical."

He's standing in an instant, mouth gaping. "Wait what? You don't believe me?"

"Why should I?" she argues, getting to her feet. "I've just met you!"

"Well, how else do you explain the rift and blue sparkles?”

Sighing, she takes off her glasses, massaging the bridge of her nose.  _ Take a step back. Think this through logically.  _ "Let's say everything you say is true and we're from different worlds."

"It is," Lance grumbles, his arms crossed. His lips curl into a pout.

She decides for both their sakes to ignore his comment. "If you are from another world, do you have any evidence?"

He stares blankly back at her.

"A document, an ID card,  _ anything _ ?" No response. She leans her head back, sighing away her frustration. "Stars, Lance, I'm trying to work with you. You can at least meet me halfway."

He furrows his brows, seemingly deep in thought and she's about to give up hope when his eyes widen. "My weapon." He unclips the triangle object from his belt. "It's called a bayard, and can morph into whatever I need it to be."

She crosses her arms, leaning back. The examination of his 'weapon' when he was knocked out left her with nothing but the impression it was a fancy hunk of metal. Nothing special about it.

"Prove it."

The look he shoots her is nothing short of arrogant; one brow raised, the corners of his lips turned up to just so. He holds the bayard over one shoulder and after a final glance in her direction as if to make sure she’s looking, he closes his eyes.

A flash of blue light emanates from the piece of tech before it elongates, rough edges turning smooth until he's holding a long staff, sharpened at both sides to a point. Without missing a beat, Lance spins it behind his back, shifting his weight as he does until he's crouched in a low stance, the staff pointed at a fallen enemy's chin.

Katie's mind feels like it’s short circuiting as she tries to comprehend how the chunk of metal was able to transfigure itself into something completely different.

After holding his pose for a second, Lance is back to his full height and with another flash of blue light, the bayard is transformed into a high tech sniper rifle. The knight holds it up to his shoulder, aims and fires a shot. She watches as a beam of blue pierces a hole in the tea mug on her counter, but can't find it in her to get mad at him. It is too freaking cool.

The bayard reverts to its natural shape and she's about to demand a chance to study it up close when he places both hands on its handles. "Shows not over yet  _ hermosa _ ," he says before pulling outwards. The bayard lights up, splitting in two and taking the shape of two pistols. He spins them around on his fingers before taking aim. "Pew, pew," he whispers as he takes imaginary shots.

Lance claps his hands together, the weapons fusing into one and shooting outwards. He holds up the newly formed sword, and in that moment, all she can see is pure warrior. Lance keeps this position for a few moments before he lets his bayard return to its original form. He's panting slightly and she has the urge to push back the lock of hair on his forehead.

"Is that proof enough?"

The only words she wants to say are praise, but she'd rather die than feed his ego, so she settles with, "Do you practice that routine often?"

Lance plops down on the couch beside her, chuckling. "Only for the ladies. Believe it or not, but I'm a bit of a hot shot on my earth."

_ You don't say.  _ She shakes her head and holds her hand out. "Can I see it?"

Lance hands the bayard over. "Sure, but it won't do anything for you."

She takes it, briefly debating on telling him it had glowed in her hands when he was asleep, but decides against it when it does nothing this time around. Her fingers trace over the runes on the side. “What is this?” 

“The old Altean language,” Lance provides, scooching closer. She feels the warmth from his body and forces her breathing to remain steady. “It acts as a sort of activation for the bulmera crystals, giving the bayard its magical properties.” 

“Fascinating,” she breathes, turning it over in her hands. “And it can turn into anything you want?” 

“Not really.” His knee is bouncing, jiggling the entire couch. 

When he doesn’t elaborate she hands the weapon back to him, despite wanting to study it all night. “Thanks.” 

“No problem.” He looks more at ease, his hand gripping the handle. “Listen, since I don’t know how to get back, I need a place to stay. We seem to get on well enough and I promise I’m an excellent cook.” 

“You want to stay with me?” 

“Only if you’re willing. But I don't see it being the worst thing in the world. What do you think?” 

“I think…” Even as she says it, she knows there's no way she’d turn him out onto the streets. Katie tries to figure out how her cozy relaxing day off turned into this. "I think you need to take a shower. You can sleep on the couch."

Lance does a little fist pump that makes him look like a five year old. "I thought you didn't do favours for people who break into your house."

"I guess you didn't  _ break in _ , the universe broke in for you."

He gasps. "Are you saying you were wrong?"

Her eyes go wide. "No! I wasn't wrong at the time. However with the new evidence I was presented, I simply have a new hypothesis."

Lance smiles, shaking his head in defeat. "I must admit, you are quite different from everyone I've met."

"I could say the same for you, Lancelot."

"It's Lance!" he calls, but she's already halfway to her bedroom.

  
  


**FEBRUARY**

“You’re unusually chipper this week.”    
  


Katie looks up from the data chart she’s analyzing. “Huh?” 

Nadia’s staring at her from her work bench, chewing on the end of a pen. “Is there a special someone I should be made aware of?” 

“Nope,” Katie turns back to her work. “Just L--” She stops herself before she can say Lance. Out of all the people she knows, Nadia is the last person she wants knowing about her new, unfortunately very attractive roommate. “Lots of good things going on recently.” 

Her friend squints her eyes, clearly not buying it. “One day I’m finding out the truth, Holt,” she says with a point of her finger. “But I’ll let you off the hook. Happy looks good on you.” 

*

When she enters her apartment, it's hard for her eyes not to be drawn to the sweaty, shirtless man in the middle, arms tense as he maneuvers a sword over his head. Her mouth goes dry as he twists, abs flexing, bringing the blade down with one powerful stroke.

Finding the strength to tear her eyes away, she drops her keys in the bowl beside the door, alerting him to her presence. His bayard shifts back and he tosses it on the couch.

"You're back."

"And I bring take out." She holds up the two bags that Lance eagerly takes, setting them on the table. She moves to grab cutlery as Lance picks his discarded shirt off the ground. "Is the half naked thing really necessary?"

"Don’t pretend you don’t like it," he says with a wink, flexing. He looks so ridiculous with his face all puffed up that she actually laughs. "I have more freedom of movement this way.” 

“Of course,” she mutters, turning away before he has the satisfaction of seeing her blush. She busies herself with grabbing cutlery and Lance joins her, shirt on, taking the plates down from the shelf. 

Eagerly, they dig into the boxes, the comforting smell of garlic and basil filling the air. After trying various restaurants, they’d both agreed that Nonna's Italian had the best pasta and garlic knots. Lance made a comment about how one of his friends back home was the best chef he’d ever known and would make a similar garlic bread. He looked so wistful after eating them that now she’s always sure to buy an extra order. 

The smile on his face is worth it every time. 

“Can I ask you something?” Lance breaks her out of her thoughts. 

Katie hums in response, her mouth full of spaghetti. 

“Why don’t you have any pictures of your family?” 

She swallows abruptly, leading to a coughing fit. Lance hands her a glass of water from which she gratefully takes a few sips. “I don't really see them much anymore.” 

Katie feels his eyes looking at her intently and she can imagine the little crease he gets between his brows when he’s pensive. A pause, then, “Can I ask why?” 

She shrugs, refusing to meet his gaze. “My brother was in an accident and it sort of pulled us all apart.” If her voice shakes, he doesn’t mention it. She hears his intake of breath and looks up sharply. “I don’t want your pity.” 

He holds his hands up in surrender. “I wasn’t going to say anything.” He stands to put his dishes in the sink, but for some reason the last thing Katie wants is to be left alone. 

“We would go skating every Christmas.” The words are out before she can stop them and Lance sits back down, leaning forward slightly. She gulps. “We’d go to this lake in the center of town and skate until our noses felt like they were going to freeze off. And then my mom would break out the thermos of hot chocolate and we would drink it before it cooled off. Matt would always burn his tongue and my dad and I would have our glasses fog up but no one could stay upset for long.” 

She blinks back the mist in her eyes and Lance gently grabs her hand. “Thank you for telling me,” he says softly and she just nods because she doesn’t know what else to say. 

Skating seems like eons ago, but something about being with Lance makes her feel a similar warm fuzzy feeling. 

A feeling she hasn’t felt in a long time. 

*

“I’m just saying,” Lance says as he gestures at the TV, “just because some place is called a Kingdom, doesn't mean it's all hillbilly medieval!” 

Katie pauses the movie they’re watching and faces him, brow raised. “So you’re telling me your kingdom doesn't look like that?” On screen is a castle, surrounded by green fields. 

“No, it does not.” He crosses his arms and pouts. “In fact, I’d argue that Altea is  _ more  _ advanced than your earth. We combined magic and technology. You haven’t even discovered magic.” 

“There's no such thing in this world,” she assures him. “I guess that's one of the key differences.” 

“Your loss.” 

“Says the dork whose world doesn’t have video games.” 

“Our game is the real world.” 

She laughs. “Now you sound like a grandmother.” 

“A grandmother who can kick your butt in Killbot Phantasm.” He walks over to the cupboards and pulls out two controllers. “Unless you’re scared?” His eyes glint with challenge. 

“You’re so on.” 

*

Lance claps his hands once before jumping into bed.  _ Her _ bed. He groans softly, adjusting the pillows slightly. “I’m beat.” 

“Don’t get too comfy sharpshooter, we still have work to do.” 

After the first week of sleeping on the couch, she was so sick of his complaining that she’d caved and let him sleep with her in her bed. With a few conditions of course.

Lance glares at her as he rolls out of bed and starts helping her pile pillows in the center. She calls it the wall. He calls it stupid. 

When at last the barrier is in place, they crawl into their respective sides. 

He yawns. “You know lots of girls from where I’m from would kill to be in your position.” 

“Roommating with a knight who doesn't pay rent and snores?” She deadpans, tempted to take down the wall just to see his face. 

“You just have to be little miss obvious don't you,” he grumbles and she snickers. 

“Are you saying my life’s in danger?” 

“If we ever go to my earth? Definitely. But don’t worry.” She can imagine his wink. “I’ll protect you.” 

Her heart skips a beat, but she shoves the feeling deep down, forcing her breathing to remain even. 

"Just..." She pats the wall of pillows in between them. "Don't cross the line."

"I could say the same to you." His voice is muffled. "It’s not easy to resist all this."

She rolls her eyes. "Goodnight, Lance."

"Goodnight, Katie."

*

It isn't her blaring alarm that wakes her, rather the smell of fresh coffee and sizzling bacon. Sunlight streams through her window as she turns over, stretching. A glance at her clock tells her she still has half an hour to stay in bed, but the aromas from the kitchen are too much to resist.

Lance is standing by the stove, spatula in one hand, tea towel over his shoulder. She leans against the doorway and fully takes it in. She's well aware of Lance’s physical attributes, but seeing him so relaxed like this sends a pang through her heart. Before she can dwell on it any longer, he looks up and meets her gaze.

"Good morning." He smiles. "Hungry?"

She stalks over to him, looking into the pan. "Depends on what's cooking."

“Flatbiscuits.” 

“You mean pancakes?” She laughs at the look he gives her. “You know… cakes made in a pan?” 

He purses his lips, tapping his chin with one finger. “You know I don’t see it. To me they look more like biscuits that are flat.” 

“All biscuits are flat Lance.” 

“Unless they’re tall.” He deadpans, and she stares at him, hands on her hips. A typical standoff. 

Then his eyes crinkle and he laughs as she playfully rolls her eyes. 

“You’re a goof.” She tries her best to sound stern but can’t help the smile that overtakes her features. 

“And you love me for it.” 

He says it so casually but it makes her heart skip a beat. Lance doesn’t seem to notice, turning back to the stove and humming softly. There’s something so domestic and normal about their lives now, something that makes her want more. 

And that scares her. 

  
  


**MARCH**

The last thing Katie wants to know is the time. All she knows is it's still dark outside, meaning it’s far too early. Her eyes crack open.

"Your phone is dinging," Lance mumbles and she sees the glow from the screen reflect off his face. 

“Pass it here,” she mumbles, reaching over the pillows, only for her arm to be tossed back at her. She frowns. 

Lance shakes his head, adjusting the pillows playfully. "Hey hey now, no crossing the line!" His voice is stern, but even in the dim light she sees the sparkle in his eyes.

"Lance, come on." She holds her hand out. "It could be work."

He furrows his brows, tapping his chin as he studies her phone. "It's not. Unless James Griffin who wants to take you out for coffee is a colleague?"

Her cheeks heat up and she buries her face in her pillow, wanting to disappear. "Just... don't respond."

"Aw, Katie. This James guy seems really cute. He could be your prince charming. I'd say knight in shining armour but that slots already taken by--"

"I don't believe in fairy tales, Lance," she admits. "There's no such thing as happily ever after."

“Why not?” There's something in his voice that she doesn’t like. Not quite pity, but similar. 

She scoffs. “Not all of us are knights who live in castles and save princesses.”

Lance is silent for so long, that if it wasn't for the glow of her screen, she would think he fell asleep. With each passing second her heart thumps a little harder in her chest as she imagines the millions of questions he might ask her next. 

"How about we take down this wall."

That was not what she was expecting. "Come again?"

"I'm just saying the pillow wall takes up a good fifth of our precious bed space. Think of all the leg room we'd gain."

"Fine!" Katie grabs a handful of pillows from the center and throws them onto the floor. Lance follows suit and soon they're face to face, breathing heavily. He smirks.

"I knew it. It may have taken a few months but even you couldn't resist all this." He gestures up and down his body. She groans, and flips over, facing the wall against her bed, her face flushed.

"I did it to make you shut up."

He laughs. "Whatever you say."

There's the sound of rustling as he tugs the comforter to his chin before the room is plunged into silence. Her eyes begin to droop, sleep just around the corner.

"Katie?"

She hums a response, her brain foggy with exhaustion.

"Thank you."

A smile crosses her face before she falls into the best sleep she's had in ages.

*

“I can’t believe you’re doing this.” 

Lance puts down the bag he’s holding, stretching one arm over his head and pointing a finger at her chest. “I believe you were the one who told me to get a job.” 

She huffs. After coming home everyday to find him doing some sort of training in her living room, she couldn’t help the fear she felt for her possessions. Lance has skill, he’s never missed an opportunity to mention it, but sooner or later even he’s bound to mess up. 

And it's going to be her kitchen table, or bookshelf that pays the price. 

So she suggested getting a job, something to occupy the copious amounts of time he has on his hands. 

“I meant volunteering at a library or something. Not this.” she gestures at the Garrison’s gym where they currently stand. 

Lance adjusts his ‘trainer’ wristband and shrugs. “They needed the help. And it's something I know how to do. Besides,” he smirks. “Don’t you think it’ll be nice working in the same building?” 

“It’s convenient,” she admits. “But I don’t want everyone knowing we know each other.” 

He frowns slightly. “Why? Afraid Nadia will go crazy or something?” 

She grabs his arm. “You are not telling Nadia.” 

“Just because for some reason you don't want to tell her about me doesn’t mean you can keep me a secret forever.” He pulls his arm back. “Besides, from all I’ve heard, she sounds fun. We could have game night at our place sometime.” 

Katie sighs, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Do whatever you want, I’m late. But if you tell Nadia, it's your funeral.” 

“Say,” Lance says as his brows furrow. “What exactly do you do?” 

“It’s a secret.” She laughs at his exasperated expression. “If I tell you I’d have to kill you.” 

“You wouldn’t be able to reach!” he calls after her, and her smile stays with her all the way to the lab. 

*

Nadia’s late coming in, which wouldn’t normally be uncommon, except this time she’s sprinting into the office and out of breath. Katie looks up from her computer as her friend leans on her desk, breathing heavily. 

“New… trainer,” she pants. “Really hot.” 

Katie hands her friend a water bottle and watches with amusement as she downs it all in one gulp. “You were saying?” 

“There's a new hire in the training deck,” Nadia explains. “And when I say he’s a piece of art, I am not exaggerating. Tall, lean and tan. Hair that falls just right, and his eyes are so blue I could get lost in them.” 

“I see,” Katie says hesitantly, praying to anyone who would listen that she wasn’t talking about Lance. But from the description Nadia provided, she had little hope. “What was his name?” 

“Larry? Logan?” Nadia taps her chin. “No, that's not it.” 

Katie barely breathes. “Lance?” 

Her friend's eyes lighting up is enough of an answer for her. “Yes! That's it! Lance.” She purses her lips. “Hang on how did you know?” She leans closer until their noses are almost touching. “Do you know him?” 

Katie lets out a laugh and shakes her head. “Nope, just a lucky guess.” Her heart is racing. 

Nadia plops down on her own chair and sprawls back. “Well you will. I gave him your number.” 

“You what?!” 

As if on cue, her phone lights up. She glares at Nadia, who just blows her a kiss back. 

Unknown Number 

10:23

Okay I was wrong. 

About? 

Nadia. 

I do not want her to know we’re living together. 

Thank the stars

WHAT ARE THESE MOVING PICTURES? 

I have no idea what youre talking about

[unknown number has sent a gif]

MOVING PICTURES! 

…

You don't have gifs on your earth?

NO! 

THESE ARE AMAZING! 

[unknown number has sent a gif]

[unknown number has sent a gif]

Lance

Stop

[unknown number has sent a gif]

[unknown number has sent a gif]

Im blocking you

[unknown number has sent a gif]

Sad puppies will not save you

You heartless woman

[unknown number has sent a gif]

“You’re smiling,” Nadia smirks and Katie shoves her phone in her pocket. “Is that a good sign?” 

“Shut up,” she grumbles, blocking out her friend's maniacal cackling. 

**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked it! comments/kudos are always appreciated


End file.
